Palestine Jewry Perturbed over Census Arrangements

Palestine Jewry is in a state of considerable perturbation over the arrangements for the forthcoming Palestine census, fearing that the census forms are going to be exploited for anti-Jewish political manipulations. In particular, it is complained that the intention of the authorities to entrust the Mukhtars (the Arab headmen of the villages) with the conduct of the census in their villages will lead to the supply of exaggerated figures of the Arab population in Palestine.

Objections have been raised for weeks in Jewish quarters in Palestine to the proposed inclusion in the census questionnaire of one or more questions relating to the landed state, or landlessness, of the population. Official circles are inclined to believe that the census might yield to this, effect being given in connection with the White Paper, while Jewish circles regard any such question as coming under the head of queries with a political tendency.

The Jewish leaders insist that the census machinery is not calculated to produce answers on these questions, objecting that information supplied under certain conditions may only tend to mislead the public on such a vital question, which should be made the subject of a special investigation.

“The Palestine Arab Executive issued an appeal recently in connection with the census, calling on all Arabs, including the Bedouins, to participate in the census, “in order to reveal the true numbers of the Arab population of Palestine, and the facts of their economic position.”